Tag: Cheese

Welcome to Thanksgiving Prep Week! All week long, I’ll be posting tried-and-true recipes well-suited for the Thanksgiving table. Some of these recipes are recent finds, while others have had a place of honor in my recipe box since I was a newlywed. I hope in these recipes you’ll find just the right addition to your Thanksgiving (or any holiday!) menu. So let’s begin, shall we?

This first dish is a relatively recent addition to my personal cookbook. My mom shared the original recipe with me (actually, I think it was my dad that found and baked the recipe, but my mom was the one who extolled its cheesy, comfort food virtues.)

This is a fluffy, sweet and savory bread pudding-like casserole with little pockets of cheesy goodness baked throughout. It will make a decadent addition to your holiday table. Hopefully, you’ll be so woozy from the tryptophan in the Thanksgiving turkey that you won’t have the energy to quibble over the fat grams. Trust me, it’s worth it.

2. In a blender or food processor, puree 1 cup of the corn kernels with melted butter and eggs.

3. In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except Parmesan. Add pureed corn mixture and mix well. Pour into casserole dish, sprinkle with Parmesan, and bake for 40 minutes, or until set and golden (check on it at 30 minutes – you don’t want it to dry out, but you want it to be completely set in the middle.)

This dish can be sliced and served in small squares to feed a crowd. Enjoy!

I have found this to be one of the easiest (and yummiest) ways to prepare mac and cheese. The pasta cooks quickly in the rice cooker, and while your pasta is cooking you can shred your cheeses to have ready to stir in once the rice cooker has done its job. I have listed swiss, cheddar, and jack cheeses in my recipe, but you can experiment to make this recipe your own. I would recommend keeping the swiss, as that adds a nice creaminess to the dish.

2 cups macaroni

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream (I feel guilty every time I use heavy cream in anything. Sometimes I use a can of evaporated milk instead – The end result is not quite as creamy, but it is still very yummy. The photo above was taken on an “evaporated milk” day.)

½ cup shredded swiss

½ cup shredded cheddar

½ cup monterey jack

½ teaspoon salt and pepper

Pinch of Cayenne pepper

Place pasta, chicken stock, and cream into your rice cooker with salt, pepper and cayenne. Close lid and start cooking on the “white rice” setting. I check on the pasta every 5-7 minutes or so, as my rice cooker cooks the pasta much faster than it’s “white rice” time. Rice cookers vary, so check your pasta often for tenderness.

Once pasta is al dente, and liquids have been partially absorbed, (it should look creamy, not watery) add cheeses, stir well, and allow to heat through. Serve right away.